1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a hard mold and a method of preparing the mold, which mold is used for manufacturing articles having various patterns defined by unevenness of its surface such as a wood-grain pattern, a marbled pattern and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to a hard mold and a method of preparing the mold, which mold defines various shaping surfaces for forming various surface patterns.
2. Brief Description of Prior Art
It has been conventional practice to incorporate metal molds, polyurethane molds, or silicone molds when manufacturing articles having various shaped patterns defined by unevenness. With these type of molds, it is common practice to etch the uneven shaping surface on the mold. According to such a method, projections on the shaping surface are all of a relatively equal height since the unevenness of the metal mold surface is formed by etching. As a result, recesses of the pattern formed on the manufactured articles are all of the same depth, which fails to provide the articles with a sufficient touch of rich quality and fails to produce articles having a surface finish substantially similar if not identical to the surface of the material imitated.
As will be seen from the subsequent description, improvements are needed in hard mold technology. There is a need for a hard mold that overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art, that can be used for manufacturing articles having various patterns defined, and that produce articles having a realistic surface finish to that of the material imitated.
As will be described, the preferred embodiments of the present invention overcome disadvantages of the prior art.